US ESTA Scheme to Charge $14

2010-08-11

US authorities will be introducing a $14 fee for British tourists visiting the country though their ESTA visa scheme.

The visa waiver scheme allows nationals from a selection of countries, including Britain, to enter the US without a visa. The ESTA has been mandatory for visa waiver travellers since January 2009, and has been a free service. The move toward a paid system is currently going through Congress and is due to begin on the 8th September, from when the $14 fee will be applied.

There have been 20 million ESTAs applications to date, with around 25% of them British tourists.

Due to the change in legislation the US Department of Homeland Security is encouraging Brits who are considering a trip to the US to apply for their ESTAs now as they are valid for two years.

For clear instructions for British passengers check out the ESTA application form.

Written by Stephen Adam

This article is cross posted from igluski.com

Guyana increasing in popularity among Caribbean cruise passengers

2009-12-01

Increasing numbers of passengers are opting to pay a visit to Guyana as part of a Caribbean cruise, it has been reported.

Despite the current economic climate and the impact it is having on the global travel industry, research carried out for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) found that visitor numbers to Guyana were up by six per cent between January and October when compared to the first ten months of 2008.

This means that, along with Cuba and Jamaica, the country is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the whole of the Caribbean, outpacing the likes of St Lucia, Dominica and the Dominican Republic in attracting tourists.

Speaking on the back of the publication of the report, Guyana's minister of tourism and commerce Maniram Prashad told Caribbean Life that these figures serve to justify recent efforts to place the island on the travel map, including a series of recent initiatives aimed at promoting it as a destination to Caribbean cruise passengers.

"We have been vindicated in what we have been saying all along that Guyana has seen an increase in arrivals for 2009," he said.

As well as its beaches, Guyana is also home to some of the world's most biodiverse jungles, with the elusive jaguar among the rare animals living in the interior.

Written by Chris Smith

Serenade of the Seas cruises into Trinidad

2009-11-23

Residents of Port of Spain in Trinidad have turned out to welcome one of the world's largest cruise ships, Serenade of the Seas.

The Royal Caribbean Cruises vessel sailed into the Trinidadian capital ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, for which it has been leased, the Trinidad & Tobago Express reports.

Serenade of the Seas was greeted to the sounds of the island's national instrument, the steel pan, while onlookers observed "jubilant passengers" singing and taking pictures.

The ship, which completed her maiden voyage in 2003, is one of two vessels being used for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which occurs biennially and involves the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations.

Serenade of the Seas spends the winter and spring on Caribbean cruises, while during the summer it heads north for Alaskan cruises.

It has a capacity of almost 2,500 passengers and 891 crew members, all of whom are accommodated on 12 separate decks.

Written by Chris Smith

Caribbean cruises to be more popular this winter?

2009-11-19

More holidaymakers could be booking a Caribbean cruise with companies such as Royal Caribbean this winter after the Post Office recorded a 70 per cent increase in sales of East Caribbean dollars.

Alistair Daly, marketing director at On the Beach, said that the trend of holidaying in non-eurozone countries is likely to continue into the winter.

"Current bookings at On the Beach suggest that both the Caribbean Islands and [the] USA will prove particularly popular this winter," he commented.

Mr Daly went on to say that the Caribbean is a popular region for Brits thanks to its hot weather, stunning beaches and warm seas - a far cry from the dull, cold British winter.

On the Beach research published earlier this month revealed a 16 per cent increase in bookings to the Caribbean compared to this time last year, with the average stay increasing from seven nights to nine nights.

Separate findings from Hayes & Jarvis revealed that the Caribbean was one of the regions most affected by the pound's slump, although holidaymakers can now expect to find that sterling stretches further.

Written by Chris Smith

Thomson Cruises announces new programmes for 2010-11

2009-10-07

Thomson Cruises has unveiled a new programme of voyages for winter 2010-11 featuring Cuba as one of the destinations of call.

New vessel Thomson Dream will sail through the Caribbean with stops in Havana, Santa Marta and Roatan among its new destinations, which the company hopes will appeal to British cruise lovers.

The company has expressed its "faith in the growing British cruise market" by throwing in flights from Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester in the hope of encouraging Brits to take longer cruises.

Instead of the usual seven-night voyages offered by Thomson, holidaymakers will enjoy fourteen-night itineraries through the three cruises dubbed Caribbean Experience, Classic Caribbean and Cuban Adventure.

The fly cruises can be booked from November 5th, with the itineraries running between December 2010 and April 2011.

Capable of accommodating 1,500 passengers, Thomson Dream features four dining venues including a 24-hour buffet and a large revolving stage for Broadway shows.

Written by Chris Smith.

Royal Caribbean to host charity cruise on new Oasis of the Seas

2009-08-19

Royal Caribbean International is set to host a special charity cruise out of Florida as it eases its newest ships into active service later this year.

With work currently underway on the expansion of the cruise liner terminal at Port Everglades so as to accommodate the new Oasis of the Seas liner, the operator has confirmed that it is to play host to a one-off fundraising overnight cruise at the end of November.

Due to take place between November 29th and 30th, the cruise will offer passengers the chance to be among the first to sample the new ship, while simultaneously mingling with community and business leaders from across Florida and raising money for the local charity United Way.

Staterooms on board the 16-deck, 220,000-tonne Oasis of the Seas start at $1,000, the Orlando Sentinel has reported, with passengers to benefit from Royal Caribbean's latest design innovations, which have seen the new liner split into seven distinct themed areas.

A sister ship for the new vessel, to be named the Allure of the Seas, is also under construction, with a launch date of November 2010 having recently been announced.

Written by Chris Smith

Cruise passengers invited to 'Walk the Decks' for charity

2009-08-18

Passengers on P&O cruises departing from Australia over the next few months are to be asked to 'walk around the world' as part of a new charity initiative aimed at raising money for disadvantaged children on the remote Palm Island, off the coast of Australia.

Under the new 'Walk the Decks' scheme being rolled out across its cruise liners, P&O is to invite passengers to perform laps of the deck and make voluntary contributions to the Catherine Freeman Foundation.

Olympic gold medallist Freeman launched the initiative in her native Australia, with thousands of passengers on Indian Ocean and Caribbean cruises set to walk a collective 25,000 miles over the next few months.

Announcing this latest cruise launch, the sprinter, better known as Cathy, said: "The foundation is a way for me to support others in the same way that people have supported me in my career, so I'm really happy to have Walk the Decks join the cause."

Meanwhile, P&O recently launched a new luxury menu, designed by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes, for it Mediterranean cruises.

Written by Chris Smith

Caribbean cruisers given some Dominica tips

2009-07-31

Holidaymakers preparing to head on a cruise break to the Caribbean have been told of some of the best day-trips open to them in Dominica.

The destination is known as the 'Nature Island of the Caribbean', with Discover Dominica offering holidaymakers some inside information of some of the location's unique attractions and culture.

Cookery fans are offered the chance to attend one of the Creole cooking tours, where a demonstration will follow a look at some local produce.

Meanwhile, nature lovers on a Caribbean Cruise may prefer a walk along the Syndicate Nature Trail, where there is the opportunity to explore Dominca's forests.

Furthermore, divers can explore the famous marine site at Champagne, where warm bubbles rise to the surface of the water via an underground hot spring.

Roseau is the capital of Dominica, with the nation having an estimated population of 72,500 inhabitants.

An interesting fact is that Christopher Columbus named the island after the day in which he crossed paths with it back in 1493, with Domenica meaning Sunday in Italian.

Written by Chris Smith

Passengers 'will not let pirates put them off cruising'

2008-12-24

British people are unlikely to allow recent incidents affecting cruise ships in the Gulf of Aden put them off cruising, according to one newspaper.

The Telegraph reported that many people would still set sail on their favourite ships, despite the rise of piracy in the area.

One of the publication's writers, who recently sailed on a Caribbean cruise, recently spoke to fellow passengers and discovered that cruise fans are a resilient bunch.

"I cruise three or four times a year and won't let these people dictate what I do," said one of the guests.

Demand for cruises could even increase over the coming year, according to a report by Cruise Market Watch.

The website predicts there will be an increase of seven per cent in the number of people taking cruises in 2009, compared to this year.

Written by Neil Condron

Caribbean is 'ideal' winter cruise destination

2008-11-04

Cruise holidays in the Caribbean have been recommended as a perfect winter holiday option for families seeking vacation-time savings.

A spokesperson for Carnival Cruises has claimed that an increasing number of British families are choosing a cruise option as an alternative to more traditionally popular trips, according to the Telegraph.

The company's UK and Ireland sales and marketing director Lynn Narraway is quoted by the newspaper as saying: "One reason it is so popular is the sheer value for money – the cruise fares are such good value in November, December and January we can offer families a fly-cruise for less than it would cost them just to buy flights to Florida."

"We are seeing more British cruisers coming to the Caribbean, so much so that we have tripled our allocation over the last three years", she added.

Popular destinations for cruise-goers taking in the sights of the Caribbean's 7,000-plus islands include Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Ocho Rios.

Written by Catherine Lewis

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